Heritage Open Days in Thanet

The national Heritage Open Days festival is taking place between Thursday 8 and Sunday 11 September and Thanet has over 30 sites taking part.

Heritage Open Days is the country’s largest heritage festival with around 5,000 events, over 40,000 volunteers and more than three million visitors taking part.  Celebrating local history, architecture and culture, the four-day event offers everyone the chance to see Thanet’s hidden places and experience something new – all of which are completely free to explore.

Thanet District Council, supported by the Coastal Communities Fund, is delighted to be working in partnership with groups and sites all over Thanet to promote this exciting programme of free events, celebrating the area’s fantastic local history, architecture and culture.

This year a record number of over 30 sites are taking part across Thanet, with events ranging from building sandcastles on Margate Sands to recording archaeological features along Marina Esplanade in Ramsgate, and sites to visit, including the St Lawrence College Chapel, built as a memorial to those lost in the First World War, the Waterloo Tower in Quex Park with its unusual twelve bells, and the landmark of Drapers Windmill along St Peter’s Footpath.

Nationally the Heritage Open Days festival operates as part of the National Trust with funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery.  Established in 1994, it is England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days, which is held annually in September in 50 signatory states to the European Cultural Convention.

Cllr Councillor Hunter Stummer-Schmertzing Cabinet Member for Tourism said: “This year there is a fantastic range of activities for residents and visitors to take part in across the whole of the District. Thanet has an amazing array of heritage sites and the Heritage Open Days allow for everyone to discover more about Thanet’s history. “

Further information

For more information on events happening across Thanet: www.visitthanet.co.uk/heritageopendays Brochures are available from Margate Visitor Information Centre and the information points at Customs House in Ramsgate and Royal Albion Garden Kiosk in Broadstairs

For more information and to find out about events across England: www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Documents

• Drapers Windmill Drapers Windmill
• HOD 2016 Brochure HOD 2016 Brochure
• HOD Poster HOD Poster
• RIBA Sandcastles RIBA Sandcastles
• St Peter’s Tour Soldier St Peter’s Tour Soldier
• The Grange The Grange
• Tudor House, Margate Tudor House, Margate
• Waterloo Tower Powell Cotton Museum Waterloo Tower Powell Cotton Museum

Social Media

Share your heritage adventures with us at;

Twitter @VisitThanet 

Instagram @VisitThanet 

www.facebook.com/visitthanet 

#HODsThanet

Please contact the council’s Press Office for further information.

[email protected]

01843 577034